Book Challenge-Book#11

OMG! Too funny! I got to shop in a great little used bookstore in downtown Mobile, AL this past week and found this book. I won’t be putting it in my classroom library because some of it is too mature, but I might copy some of the stories and put them in the library.

Spiders in the Hairdo: Modern Urban Legends collected and retold by David Holt and Bill Mooney

These little stories are hilarious-some are wicked-most are ironic!!!

Book Challenge-Book#10

I’m not sure if most students would like this book, but I think most students would probably feel the same way that the kids in the book feel about the situation. This book, “Firegirl”, by Tony Abbott, hits on a tough issue that might make your students think-What if?

Tom, the main character, is an insecure 7th grade boy that tends to not speak up too much-Jessica changes that for him in the long run. Jessica is a new girl at Tom’s school-and she is a burn victim with an enormous amount of damage to her body. The kids don’t know what to make of it so they essentially just leave her alone-ignore her. Tom ends up befriending her.

A heartbreaking story-one that would be good to talk to your kids about before they read it and definitely after they read it. It is a short book-but is deep-not for the lighthearted.

As I was looking for the book cover image to insert I found a website http://suzyred.com/2007firegirl.html that has a unit on this novel. Just listen to the music that plays-it’s so sad. I think I would like to do a reader’s theater on this book next year.

 

Book Challenge-Book#9

Are you reading this with your clothes on????? Good. Because the name of the book that I just read is……………..

Naked Reading: Uncovering What Tweens Need to Become Lifelong Readers

Yep-that’s the name of it! Caught your attention didn’t it??? I bought this book on my new kindle (which I love by the way, thanks for asking!). I had a hard time putting it down! Wait. I didn’t put it down. Well, I put it in my lap under the steering wheel, turned on the text to speech feature on my kindle, and listened to it on my way home from Mobile today. It’s all about motivating tweens (kids from 10-14) to read. It also has some GRAND and WONDERFUL ideas for very non-traditional book reports-you have got to get this book even if it’s just for the book culmination ideas! Who would have thought???

This is going on my favorite list!

Book Challenge-Book#8

Meet Frannie. Down-to-earth. Goodhearted without realizing it. Brother who’s deaf. Family that is full of love. All the insecurities of a pre-teen. Observer of bullying and indirect segregation.

Can you feel the empathy?

I bought this book-”Feathers” either through a Scholastic bookorder (I love these) or at our bookfair-can’t remember-it all becomes a blur after awhile. I started reading it last night and finished it today. I like the author’s style of writing, I LOVE the main character, Frannie, and I loved the book.